scotland and edinburgh

Well, I have arrived at my flat in edinburgh.  I have the smallest room, which is ok because it's basically the size of every room I've ever lived in.  I am taking a break from a decorating/organizing spree because I'm tired and I don't think theres much else I can do until  the daylight hours anyway.  One nice thing/kind of weird thing is the ceilings are really high. I tried to hang something from the window and I had to climb on top of my headboard and onto the window ledge because I was too short to hang it from the bed itself.  It's the first time I've ever had to climb and balance. It was weird, and refreshing. my beds also really uncomfortable. I might try and find a better mattress on gumtree (uk craigslist). It's funny how I was totally fine to sleep on a moldy futon cushion on a cement floor in Australia but in the UK, if it's not a pillowtop its not good enough.
 Well kids, since I'm technically "home" now I'll be more available on skype. Also, I think I'm getting an iphone so we can facetime chat now. 

Random travel story, while this isn't exactly south Texas, I'm still pretty much taller than every person in the country;except maybe the dutch and german tourists. The other day I had to do some online banking so I took my lap top down to the lobby (where the wifi was) and sat at a table that was so small it must be for their guests with school age children.  So I moved to the back, where some normal sized furniture was spotted. As I bent down to place my lap top on the coffee table, I hit my head so hard on the hanging lamp that the crack could be heard in the BACK room of reception. A little employee guy came running out and hand to still the lamp because the spots in my vision still hadn't cleared up. Then as I stood up to leave about 30minutes later I hit my head AGAIN.  This time, instead of rushing over with concern, he looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and disgust from behind the safety of the hotel bar while a man on a cell phone starting laughing hysterically and gesturing for me to come sit with him. I declined and didnt show my face again until breakfast.  The next day at breakfast I had the absolute pleasure of watching two asian girls in full makeup, false eyelashes and stiletto heels included share a hard boiled egg and then not finish it. They then piled onto a bus with 15 other asians and were gone for the day by 8am.

ok I'm tired. Wish me luck every body, I'm kind of nervous about this. My travels before were different, if I hated it I could leave, but I'm stuck here whether i like it or not.

Luang Prabang, Laos

There are a bunch of street kids who wander around selling post cards, braclets, and the usual fare. THey are all over Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Some of their sales pitches are pretty good too. "I need money to go to school tomorrow." "I need money to start my own buisness." "Where you from? Texas? oh...I know...AUSTIN!" Or my favorite girl, a very dead pan, and uninterested sales pitch of..."buy something?"
This girl was maybe 9 or 10, but being asian, looked about 7 or 8, and would walk up and down the main street in Luang Prabang with a box of braclets and magnets tied around her neck. She'd walk up to everyone walking down the sidewalk, everyone eating at tables by the street, everyone shopping at the street stalls, basically any one visible and white was getting approached and every. single. time. her sales pitch was, "buy something?" Accompanied by a bored expression and a hopeful tone. SHe was usually turned down, and I got the feeling employee of the month was not a reward system put in place by the parent or grandparent she was working for. I watched her for a while attempting to sell a ring to a moderately interested back packer. The tourist girl changed her mind when she couldn't bargain the 20 cent ring down to 10 cents and walked off. The little sales girl was EXTREMELY agitated to have had her hopes built up so high just to be shot down again, but quitting is a luxury preserved for the rich, and she knew she must carry on. She approached a few more tourists with her traditional sales pitch, "buy something?" Before making her way over to me.

"buy something?"
-no thanks
"Have nice bracet, have nice post card."
-no thanks, I dont wear jewelry and I dont write letters.
(exaserbated, reproachful look accompanied by deep, forlorn sigh) "BUY. SOMETHING!"
-ok then, here's 10,000 kip, what do you want me to take?